Voting-machine.



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PRESTLENT i cannes om E. MGGLAIN. VOTING MACHINE. PLIGATION P ILED 0012.25, 1901.

@GRAI- mmol? PRESIDENT max-Am mi GOV if U

if L

JOHN DOE.

STATE TREASQRPIH GOVERNOR Q lttonnup Patented 1908.

E.v MGGLAIN VOTING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION 'IILED OCT. 25. 1937.

' 5.3% h1 woe:

E. MGGLAIN. VOTING MACHINE.

LPPLIGATION HLBD ooLi-s, 19s?.

VPatented sept. 15,1908A 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

atmup s l i 'Unirnn sfrrirss ELI MCQLAIN, OF PRIS, TEXAS.

vo'rrnomecnmn.

Specification of Letters atsnt.

Patented sept. 15, 190s.

Application led October 25, 1907. Serial No. 399,175.

To all vwhom t may concer:

Be it known that I, Em MCCLMN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in' thef county of Lamar and State of Texas, have mvented a new and \1sef.ul.\nung-Machine,

or' 1which the following is a specification.

This 'invention has reference to improve- Yments in voting machines, and its obiect is to provide means whereby a voter may, by pushing an appropriate button, register his vote for the. particular candidate desired for the particular office, there being a se erste push-button for each candidate and o `ce.

The invention comprises essentially' a means whereby the voter may register his choice, comprising push bers accessible from the. exterior of the machine, each push bar hard o an individual lock comprising a, rockshat ravinU a nger in the sth of a. notch in the push ar and an arm aiiso on the shaft out of thepath of the push bar-,With means for restoring all the pus bers to normal posi'- tion after being operated upon, said means comprisinv rods each of which is in contact with all the arms of the rock shafts of the series, together with connections between sii the rods so that they may be moved simultsneously to in turn move all the rock shafts te. reiees'e all the actuated push bars, the

istter being spring. retained so that when re` leased they are. returned to normal position by their springs.

The invention also comprises means whereby a properly authorized person may lock the entire machine against Jfurther manipulation, as when the time for voting is past and no more-registerino' ofthe votes is Lo be done. rions and accidentelregistering of votes is prevented. y

ri`he invention will be best understood by reerence to the following detailed .descriprion, teken in connection with the eccomp-:iny drawings forming part of this specification, in which,

1Figure 1A is a face view of a portion of a msehine constructed in accordancswith the present invention, with some parts broken stray and others in section; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a portion of the machine on theline zc-of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section through a poitionof the machine on tneiine i/-y ofFig. 2; Fig. 4 is aside elevation, with parts'in section, of the voting booth; :and Fig".- 5 is a horizontal section through the same above the voting machine.

Referring to the drawinn a cnsingl in which are a number of spar-ed uprightpartitions 2. Between the uprights 2 are located frames 3 in which :are mounted the individual registeringl mechanisms for showing the number of votes cast for :my particular candidate. liar-h of these nicchsnisms comprises a shnftfl journuled near one'end in a support 5 formed on the frame 3 and at the other end carrying n hand or pointer 6 exterior to the iront of the casing and in operative relation to s, dial 7. That end of the shaft 4 to which the hand 6 is attached also carries the hub S of :i ratchet wheel E), said hub passingr through the front of the casing and being journaled therein By this means both surreptition and thereby causes the hand 10 to move but a small 'fraction of a revolution. For instance, the hir-nd is moved step by step and thereby moves the hand 1() one-forth iii of a revolution. The inde.\ for the hand 1() is therefore arranged in multiples of forty, that is, the forty steps embrace numbers bersare simply indicative and any other nrrangement of numbers for the index may be adopted.

Upon the shaft 4 back of the ratchet wheel 9 there is mounted a plain disk 11 having one peripheral notch 12, and also upon the shaft 4 there is mounted a ratchet wheel 13 having its teeth in the same sense as the ratchet wheel 9. The disk 11 and ratchet wheel 13 are fixed upon the shaft i for rotnLjon there.- \vith,' while the ratchet wheel 9 may be rotated with the diskv by a nie-ans to be described lnter and may be held against rotation' without stopping the rotative morement of the shaft 4.

Fixed to the frame 3 is a spring,r arm 14 terminating in a tooth 15 normali) in the path of the teeth o f the ratchet wheel 9, :nid this' spring 14- has another tooth 16 in frictional engagement with the. peripher)v of the. disk 11, thus holding it against accidental rotation. Means are provided, as w'il herei insiter appear, so that when the ratchet from forty to sixteen hundred. These numrnfrnnfr ermee. L

s there is shonn and also constituting the journal support for through one revolution, Savin fort)v steps.

2 l A In. 898-910 wheel 13 is rotated until the notch 12 in the resting on a ledge or shelf '23 extending horidisl; 11. is brought into coincidence with a 1^ zontallyand fastened to the back wull ol' the awl 90, mounted on a lever arm 91, to be liereinafter referred to, this pawl will tali into said notch. T he pa-wl 91 is wide enough to'also engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 9, but is normally held out of engagement therewith by the dish 11. llihen, however, the pawl 90 falls into the notch 1f, it also falls into engagement with the ratchet teeth on the wheel 9. Now, if the pawl 90 be moved back and lorth, it will engage the ratchet wheel' 9, to uctuate the same only when permitted to more into engagement therewith by falling into the notch 12. Thus,

on each complete rot-ation of the ratchet lwheel 13, the ratchet wheel 9 will be` moved "a distance equal to the length of one tooth.

This movement, however, carries thenotch 12 from under'the pawl 90, so that as the ratchet wheel 13 and shaft 4 continues to turn in the further operation of the machine the ratchet wheel 9 remains stationary, being engaged and held against movement by the lspring 15. Y Thus the hand assuming that it starts at the index numeral one and assuming that the several parts are properly related, will move about the index until it reaches the last number thereon, say the number forty, and when this number is reached the notch 12 will under-ride the pawl 90 and thus cause it to engage the ratchet wheel 9 and the hand 10 will be rotated a distance to bring it coincident with, say,A the lon est number on the index plate apportioned to said hand; that is to say, on the index shown in the drawing the hand 10 will point to theA number forty. When 'the hand 6 is again moved about the index until it reaches the number forty, the hand 10 will be moved to the number eighty, and so on. Ot course, the highest number that can be registered on the index plate will always exceed the total number of voters inthe precinct or voting distiot in which the voting machine is to be use The Jfront of the casing may be constructed in the manner rlready indicated with the dials formed directly thereon, or the. front of the casing may bc made of wooden or other plate 17 faced with metal plates 1S upon each of which is formed a dial 7 and each of which may have adapted thereto a frame 19 suit.- ably shaped to receive a card 2O containing the names of the candidates, while the name of the ottico muy bo engraved or lotherwise placed upon the. plaie.

ln the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 it is assumed that the names of the partyenndidates nre arranged in vert ical rows, while 'the i names of the. ollicos nro arranged in horizon-` Adjacent to eachdiul philo is u push-bur 21 extending through n, suitable. porfin-ation b2 in tho plate 1S und harig its other end machine so that the push-bar 21 is Supportedat its rea-r end b v ihc shelf Z3 and at 4its honi end by the pif-.re 18. The push-bar i is made rectangular in cross section so as not to turn in the perforation 22 which is of like shape, and the front end is of reduced width so as to term .shoulders 24 which will abutagainst the inner face of the plate 1S and so \prevent the push-bar from )rojccting too of which is fast at an appropriate'point on' the adj acont partition 2, the tendency of the spring being such that the push-bar is normally maintained thercbv in the projected position, .i

On one side of the push-bar .l there is formed a wedge or cam projection 27 in the path of which is the upper end of an arm '28, the lower end of which is pivot all)v .supported on the frame 3, as indicated at :29. The. :u'm .28 has at its free end an angle. extension 30 the other end of which spring is fast :it :m approV nate point on the adi-acont partition 2. T 1o arm 2S has a side. stud 3; to which pawl 33 engaging 'the iecr'n of the ratchet wheel 13. This pawl ma): be a gravit Av pawl, as indicated, or it may be held against the teeth of the ratchet wheel 125 'o v a' spring in the ordinary manner. .\`ow. when a pushbutton is moved against the ncion of the spring 26, that is, w ien it is pushed into the casing 1, the wedge or cam 27 engaging the Aarm '2S will nieve the same progressivch' fai ther and farther away from the "'ilauo of movementof the push-bar 21, att ie' sume. time extending the spring 31. Since. the

awl 33 is in engagement with some. one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 13 this ratchet wheel will be rotated as the arm 2S is moved the hand 6. The parts are so proportioned that thc entire extent-of movement of the. arm 28 and pawl 33 under the action of the. cam 27 is equal to thc length of 'a tooth of the ratchet wheel 13, which means a movement of the hand from one index number to the next.

ln tho upper edge of the push-bar 2l. in that portion of the length of the push-bar always contained within the casing 1, there is formed a notch 34 in the path cfa ingen )rejecting from a rock-snuit 36 extending iori/,ontullv across the frame 3 and jourualcd at its ends therein. This shaft 3G has also projecting therefrom en arm 37 in the path of a rod 31S extending horizontally across the machine through vertical slots 39 in the to which is Secured one end of a .spring Ill,

is pivoted the arm 91 which also carries :1

away from the push-bar 21 and thus move l partitions '2 and at its ends connected to upright side be' s 40 held to tle sides of the casing l h v cli s il, so that these side bars may move up and down but. are prevented from moving in any other direction. There is a rod 3S for each horizontal series of pushbars and all these rods are connected to the saine side bars l0. Now, when a push-ba* is pushed. imo the machine it is ultimately caught, and there held by a. corresponding finger engaging in a notch 34, each spring 36 heingthen under tension and each arm 37 resting on a har S which, under the conditions then existing, is at the bottoni of the slots 39. Let it be assumed that a voter has ushed in all the push-buttons corresponding to the various candidates said voter selects, then in order to set the machine for the l next succeeding voter the rods 38 are :iii raised and engage those arms 37 which have dropped down upon the rods 3S because of i the dropping of the fingers 35 into the notches 34 of the pushed in bars 21, the notches 3% being soloca-led as to be engaged by the tingers 35 oiil when the bars 21 have been pushed in to the proper extent. As the rods 38 are moved upwardly the. fingers 35 ultiinately escape from the notches 34 and all those bars Z1 which were iuslied into the machine are projected by tlie action of the springs 26, so that after the rods 3S have. beeirlitted all the push-bars are in the noi'-- inalgoro ierative position. When the rods` 3S are'ailowed to return to the lowerinosi. positiingthe arms 37- follow them until an rested b v the engagement of the fingers 35 with the;V upper edges of the push-bars 21. For the movement of the fingers to cause them to drop into the notches 34 the action of gravitfr may he relied upon, or a suitzibie s ring may actnpon each linger or upon each s' aft 36. Now, since there are. usually tivo or more candidates for cach office to be voted for, it is necessary to provide means that iviil lock all the other push-bars of a serie-swhen one has been pushed in to register the choice of a voter, so that if :t voter be at all inclined to be dishonest and should attempt to vote for more than one candidate for the saine office ho will lind all the other push-buttons controlling the registers for recording votes for tho other candidates for the same otiice locked against movement. To accomplish this I provide upon the shelf 23 on each side of the corres onding end of' the push-bar '2l 1 a grooved ro ler 42, and extending` along the shelf from end to end is a strand in the form of a chain 43 or a cord or flexible band, While the corresponding end of the push-ber is formed with a loop 44 through which the. chain iasses, this loo being either integral with the. bar and ma e by simply punching out a hole through the bar or the loop niej.' be made separate from the baiand secured es thereto. .Within thepertoretionin thelcop there is mounted another roller 45l which when 'the bar21 is p'ushed inw:- l lwill engage the chain end'force the same tov.vrd the rollers 42 in a. direction at 4right angles to the length of the chain. Now, the `ends of the 7-3. cham are secured, say, t-o the end walls ofthe lcasing orto the end partitions 2, and there is enough slack in the chain so that one of the series of push-bars 21 under the'cont-rol of the chain may be moved into thecasing until caught b v the eorrespondin Finger 35. Then the chain rendered taut bv'the taking up of the slack and because of the chain being forced between the rollers 42 by the movenient of the push-bar under consideration. if, now,v an attempt is made to manipulate any other one of the pusli-bars under the control of Vthe. particular chain, it will be found' that these bars are locked against any movement siiiiicieiit to operate thc register, and, therefore, are inoperative to register a. vote. Should it transpire, as is sometimes the case, that a voter has the privilege of casting his vote for tivo or more candidates for the saine otlice, then the chain will have sufficient slack to permit the pushing in of two or more hars 21 in the same series, but' when the limit of -permissible Voting for the one otlicc is reached then the rest of the push-bars are locked- It may also be of advantage under 95 certain conditions that the vcrtiealtii rs of push-bars have locking meausappl ied thereto.\ For this purpose there are other vertically disposed strands in the form of chains 46. which, of co'urse, may be replaced bv flexible bands or cords, and adjacent. to each of these chains there are two rollers 47--48 mounted upon brackets 49-50 fastvoii an adjacent partition 2. The brackets 49 ma): he so shaped as to iiiolose the. chain and thus serve to guide the saine, and in this caso the roiler 47 need not be hanged, while the. bracket 5f) need not embrace the chain, in which case, however, the roller 48 should be flanged to act' as a guide `for the chain.

Mounted in each push-bar 2l is a roller 5l similar to the roller 42, but at right angles thereto so as to engage the chain 46, the push-har 21 being slotted as shown at 52, to permit the passage of the chain and to receive 115 the roller 5l.

W'hen the bar 21 is pushed into the casing the chain S is engaged by the roller 5l and carried laterally between the rollers 47 and 48, thus correspondiiigl)v taking up the slackA i Inliigs. 4 and 5 there is shown a voting booth having a door or opening 56 inside of which there is located a` vertical shaft 57 journeled at one end in the Hoop and at the 139 2 or ledges 1,25'-

l l i l carrjinga horizontalro -A height from the iloor are two arms 61 and 62 at right angles one to the other and of sulli\`\ cient length to bar the passageway into or., ont of the booth.

The shaft 57 is located near one. side of the opening and an upright 63 is located near the other side of the opening, the said upright. having its upper end formed into a horizontally-projecting arin 64 formed at its free end with a head 65 in which is formed anotch 66 toward which t-he upper edge of the head 65 gently slopes in each direction. The arms 61 and 62 are hinged to the shaft 57 so that when the. shaft 1s rotated the free end of the arm 61 or 62 coming in contact with the slo ing upper edge of the head 65 will be guide and lifted by the same until the notch 66 is reached, when the said arm will gravitate. thereinto.

Near the upper end of the shaft 57 is another arni 67 connected by a link or strap 68 to an arm 69 on an upright shaft 70 at the back of the casing 1 of the machine, which latter may be. set upon aA support 71 rising from the iloor of the booth. The shaft 70 is journnled ut its up er end in the ceiling -or roof of the booth, w iile its lower end maybe journaled in the support'71 and straps 72 ma);` confine. the voting machine to the shaft 70.

On the. to of the casing 1 is a register 73 which may e in all respects similar to the registers already described and contained in the machine, but this register is operated by a push-bar 74 which, however, is devoid of locking mechanism and 'may operate the ratchet wheel 13 directly by means of a pawl 75.

Mounted-to slide on the top of the casinir 1 1 is a bar '76 held thereto oy clips 77, and t iis bar is connected by a rock-lever 78 to the pnsl.-bar 74, so that the bar 76 and push-bar 74 will always move in the same sense.

Upon the shaft 7() and projecting therefrom in a direction opposite to the. direction of projection of the arm 69 is another arm 79 engaging in an'eye SO formed on the-corre.- sponding end of the bar 76. The other end of the bar 76 is formed into a wedge or inelined shoulder 81 engaging under a. cross bar .82 joining the upper ends of the side hars 4() before referred to. Likewise each side bar 40 which projects at its upper end through the. top of the casing 1 has pivoted thereto a cam lever S3, the cam face of which is in eugagement with the. top of the casing so that -when the levers S3, one for each bar 40, are moved about their pivots the bars -10 will he.

raised or lowered as the case may be.

Let 'it be supposed that the shaft 7U with its arm 79 is absent. Then in orde-r to reset the machine after a voter has manipulated it :in election' judge or other authorized erson can, by pushing the bar 74.-, cause the ar 76 to be moved longitudinally so that its wedge end 81 will pass under the connecting bar82 \and thus elevate the side bars 40 and reset the machine in the manner already described.

the cam levers 83 into a position to raise the bars 40 and thus lock the machine against further manipulation, since when these cam levers are turned to the horizontal position the cams are so locked as to retain the bars 40 in the raised position, thus looking all thelpush bars 21 against movement. For this purpose each push-bar 21 is provided with two spaced lugs Si so located tha't when the push-bars are rejected into their normal working osition t e lugs S4 are in a position to stradd ethe rods 3S when elevated, and the push-bars' are therefore etl'eotually locked against being pushed into the machine.

Every time the bur 76 is moved -in a direction to reset the machine the register 73 is operated one indicating s ace and thereby shows on its face the num er of voters who have used the machine. This latter operation is rendered automatic when the machine 4 and 5. In this case it is to be. assumed that the arm 62 is in the dotted lino position and the arm 61 is in the notch 66. Under these circumstances the. passage\\'a)' iuto the tain with its supportingl rod 59 is in the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5, that is, so as to leavethc opening into the booth, free for inspection, thus giving visible evidence that the bootlris empty. Now, when a voter approaches the booth he must rst raise .the bar 61 in order to enter'the booth and as he enters the latter he pushes against this bar and thus turns the shalt 57 upon its axis until the arm 62 engages the notch 66 and the shaft is locked against further rotative. movement. In tho meantime, however, the curtain 6u has been carried by the arm 5S und har 59 into a position to close armGS) have caused the shalt 7U to rotate for a distance sullieient to draw the bar 76 so extent 'from under the. har S2 to permit the side bars 4l) to dri-p to their normal position', thereby releasing; all the push-hars Z1 to operation. The voter then rpushes in such push-hars as he may desiri- 'io register his lifts the han' 62 from the. noti-h G6 and pushes direeti ui l rom that injvhich it was turned booth. This when the voter entered the When the voting:r time has expired the' judge 0r other authorized person will turn' the opening,r 56, und the arm 67, link 68 and' thatits head Si is uithdmwn to n sutlieient' vote, and then on goiurfron'.- ihchooth hef is installed in a booth such as shown in Figs.

booth is barred by the arm 61 and the curthe same. to tuin the shaft 57 in the reverse e @8,910 .A f lu'ill cari-5 the curtain 6U from the path of the Toter :is he leaves the booth andwill hring p the liar fil :ici-oss the opening 56 unt'il its end is en -aged hy the notch 66. At. the same time :he movement of the arm G7, lilik 68 and eroi mi acting on the shaft 7() causes the lia r TV to lie moved in a direction to force the head' Vi under the bar S2 and thus lift the side liars iii to unlock all the push-hars 2l and allow them to return to their normal position, and concurrently with this movement thc register 73 is operated to record the fact that a voter has entered and left the boot-h, thus registering the numhcr of votes.

The dials 7 are all located at. the front of the machine, although they may lie elscwhere located if desired, and these dials when so located are in practice covered with a heavy glass face plate, so that the hands 6 and 1t) may not he tampered with.' This,

lio\\'cver,'is a structural feature and has not been shown in the drawings.

' I claimz- 1. In a voting machine, a series of usli liars, one for each candidate to he vote for, a spring for each push bar, an individual lock for each push har consisting` of a rock shaft having a projecting finger in the path of a notch in the push har and an arm on the rock shaltout of the path of the push bar, and means for restoring all of the push hars to normal position after being operated comprising rods each in contact withv all of the arms on all of the rock shafts of a series and connections between all the rods whereby they may be moved sinlultaneousl to move all of the rock shaft-s to release al the aetul ated push bars, to the action of their springs.

2. In a 'voting machine, aseriesof ush bars, one for each candidate to be vote for, a spring for each push bar, an individual lock for each push har consisting of a rock shaft 'having a projecting finger in the path of a notch in the push bar and an arm on the Pook shaft out of the path of the push bar, and

means for restoring all of the push bars to normal position after being operated, comrising rods movable to and from the push ars and rock shafts and engaging the arms on the latter and causing the shafts to rock to release the said push bars when saidr are moved towards the shaft-s.

3. In a votin machine, aber movahlein-a' direction at riff t angles to its length, roel:

shafts each having an arm inthe path of 'thebar, also a projecting inger, and push bars leach controlled by'a spring and in operative relation to the finger on its respective, rockv shaft and provided with means in the path of the bars :introlling the ro'ck shaft to engage said har and to he locked thereby.

4. In voting machine, a oar movable in a direction at right angles to its lengt-h, rock shafts each having an arin'in the path ot' thev bar, also s orniotiniz tingen and 'push bars having a pr eacli coiitiolled hy a springr and in operative relation to the finger on the respective rock shaft and provided with spaced lugs arranged to receive the hars', controllingr the rock shafts, between them and to he locked thereh iv against movement. i 'A .5. Iii .a voting machine, a series'of push liars, one for each candidate to he. voted for,

a springr for each push har, an individual lock Vto release the push liars when the said rods :ire moi-'cd toward the shaft, common connections for ali the rods, and cam 'levers controlling the common connections. i

(i. In a voting.: machine., a ,serie-skit push liars, one for each candidate to he voted for, a spring for car-h push bar, an individual lock for each push har, consisting of a rockshaft havingr a projiecting finger in the path of a notch in the push har, and an arm on the rock shaft ou` of the path of the push. bar, and means for restoring all the push hars to normal position after heine' operated comprising rods movahlc to and from thc push bars and rock shafts and engaging the arms on the latter and causing the shafts to rotate Ato release the push liars when the said push- 'notch in the push har, and an arm ori the shaft out of the path of the push liar, and

means for restoring, all the push hars to nor-Y- mal A.position einer heing operated coi'iiprising.

rods movable toand from the push hars- :md rock shafts and engaging the arms ou the 'latter and causing the shal t to rock to release -the ush bars when said rods are moved ttiwar the shaf'r; common connections for all the rods, can; evers controlling the common connect-ion and locking the rods in operative position, and a sliding wedge also acting on the coniinon cflinnection to operate the rods. Y 8. In a voting machine, a series of push hars, one for eac candidate to be voted for, a sorin 7 foreach push bar, an individual lock forL eacn pusicsr consisting, of a rock shaft tino' linger in the path of'a h bar'and an erin on thi rock notch in the pcN shaft out 'of tl J nath of the ush bar, and

means for restoring all the pusn bars to nori i l g i l i i i ,l 5 'i Af i mal position after being operaiecl comprisinflr loeng e'x'zerior io' he :alanine and acssilnld rods movable to and from the push bars an n rock shafts and engaging the arms ofhe latter and causing the. shafts to rock to release he push bars when said rods are moved toward the shaft,A earn lewfers controlling the common connections to lock the rods m operto authorized persons only.

In testimony'that I claim the foregoing as T my own, L have. hereto ulbced my sxgnaure m the. presence of two w11 messes.

AELI MCCLAIN.

atii'e posit-ion, and a sliding wedgealsaaioling lVitnesse-s:

on the. common connection to operate the rogls, the said cam levers and sl1d1ng-wedge 'Jr M. Lofw., CEAS. W. Woarnn 

